Local look at pro golf this week

Wednesday

Jun 19, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 20, 2013 at 12:37 AM

By ERIC BOYNTONeric.boynton@shj.com

PGA TOURTravelers ChampionshipWhen: Today-SundayWhere: TPC River Highlands (Cromwell, Conn.)Purse: $6.1 million ($1.08 million winner's share)2012 champion: Marc LeishmanTV: 3-6 p.m., today-Friday and 1-2:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday on Golf Channel; 3-6 p.m., Saturday-Sunday on CBSLocals in the field: Clemson product Jonathan Byrd's tie for 10th in his last outing two weeks ago at the FedEx St. Jude Classic was his first top-10 finish over his last 17 outings (and only second time inside the top-50) dating back over a year to his tie for sixth at the Memorial. It was Byrd's ninth start since returning from major wrist surgery where prior he'd missed six cuts with ties for 66th and 80th. He hasn't played the Travelers since missing the cut in 2007 and is paired the opening two rounds with former Clemson teammate Lucas Glover. … Glover appeared to be heating up with a tie for fourth at the Zurich Classic and tie for 27th at the Wells Fargo (where he was derailed by a final-round 75), but has missed his last three cuts, including last week at the U.S. Open when he carded a second-round 82. Glover hasn't broken par over his last eight rounds and has posted 75 or higher in half of those. He tied for 11th at the Travelers in 2009 the week after winning the U.S. Open … Furman's Brad Faxon, currently playing the Champions Tour, received a sponsor's exemption this week to return to the site of his seventh and last PGA Tour victory. The 51-year-old won the 2005 event (then called the Buick Championship) when he tied the course record with a final-round 61 before winning on the first hole of sudden death. Faxon has missed 18 consecutive PGA Tour cuts and has only played one event in almost two years … Boiling Springs resident/Wofford product William McGirt was scheduled to play Wednesday's pro-am with 78-year-old legend Lee Elder, the first African-American to play the Masters and a four-time PGA Tour winner. McGirt, who ranks 113th on the money list, has finished inside the top-37 only once over his last 12 events and missed the cut in his previous two Travelers starts although he hasn't played poorly with rounds of 70-71-69-70 … Dorman/Clemson product D.J. Trahan has tied for 66th and 54th, missed two cuts and failed at U.S. Open qualifying since a solid tie for 15th at the Texas Open in early April. He's had success at this week's venue, however, despite last year's tie for 76th. He tied for 17th in 2011, 14th in 2009 and 19th in 2008. Trahan carded a pair of 62's over that span and has posted sub-70 in nine of his last 11 rounds in the tournament … Clemson's Kyle Stanley got into last week's U.S. Open on the number as the top-60 in the world rankings automatically qualified. He opened okay with a 71-74 before a horrendous weekend with 85-78. Stanley had posted a solo third at the Memorial in his previous outing and has finished tied for sixth or better in three of his last six starts to move to No. 36 on the money list with $1.33 million … Simpsonville resident Justin Bolli has missed five of his last six cuts along with a solo fourth at the Byron Nelson. He's played the Travelers only twice the past five years with two missed cuts.

WEB.COM TOURRex Hospital OpenWhen: Today-SundayWhere: TPC Wakefield Plantation (Raleigh, N.C.)Purse: $625,000 ($99,000 winner's share)2012 champion: James HahnLocals in the field: If there was ever a venue to rejuvenate his slumping career this is it for Greenville resident/USC product Kyle Thompson as two of his career three Web.com victories have come at this event. The 34-year-old has fallen on hard times since his June 12, 2011, win in Raleigh began a stretch that saw him finish solo second the following week and then tied for fourth his next outing. Thompson hasn't finished inside the top-20 in 21 Web.com and 22 PGA Tour stars since while making only nine combined cuts over that span. He's missed all six cuts this season while breaking 70 only twice in 13 rounds … Clemson's Kevin Johnson is also a former winner of this event with the fifth of his six career Web.com wins (second all-time to Jason Gore's seven) coming in 2009. The 46-year-old has missed three of four cuts this season playing with only partial status … Duncan resident Matt Bettencourt got off to a strong start last week in his fourth-career U.S. Open with rounds of 72-71 before a weekend of 76-77 dropped him into a tie for 53rd after playing Sunday with Tiger Woods. He has split time between both tours this season and has made his last six cuts combined along with an early withdrawal at the St. Jude Classic due to food poisoning … USC's Mark Anderson has tied for 40th and 37th since earning his first professional win at the BMW Charity Pro-Am at Greer's Thornblade Club. He stands No. 12 on the money list with a poor history in Raleigh where he missed the cut in 2011 and tied for 42nd the previous year … Greenville resident/Clemson product Ben Martin broke a streak of five consecutive made cuts, four of which were tied for 15th or better, last week, but still leads the tour hitting greens in regulation (76.19 percent) and is a solid 30th in earnings. Martin is making his debut at this event … Greenville resident/Furman resident Matt Davidson has advanced to the weekend only three times in 11 starts while finishing inside the top-40 just once with a tie for 33rd in Chile. He missed the cut in both career starts at this week's event … Clemson's Sam Saunders has missed four straight cuts and six of his last seven while breaking 70 only once over his last 17 rounds … All three of Clemson product Brian Duncan's made cuts in 21 career Web.com starts have come this season, including a tie for 26th at the WNB Classic in mid-April.